The Little Things
by Wildflower Field
Summary: Anne Gibson is a waitress at her friend's restaurant where she also performs daily with her guitar. When she plays an original piece, she catches the eye of Stu Bennett who becomes determined to prove to her that she has potential in the music industry. Wade Barrett/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Well hi there everyone! Thanks for checking out my fic. A couple quick things. This is set in Preston, England, Wade Barrett's home town where he is on an extended break from wrestling. For anyone who has read my other WWE story, I have not abandoned it, just lost inspiration for a while. I hope you all enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wade Barrett, the WWE or anything/one associated with it. I do however own Anne Gibson and any friends/family that are introduced throughout this fic. The song is also my work that I put together for the purpose of this fic. **

The loud obnoxious ringing of an alarm blasted through the early morning calm that had settled across the small apartment. An arm shot out from underneath a heap of blankets and quickly shut the alarm off. The calming silence once again filled the room. Rolling out from underneath the blankets was a blonde haired, green-eyed woman named Anne Gibson. She laid on top of her blankets for a while letting her eyes adjust to the darkness that encompassed her room. She rubbed the last bit of sleep from her eyes and climbed out of bed, wandering down the short hall to her kitchen. She turned on her coffee pot and leaned against the counter breathing in the rich aroma of the imported coffee. After filling her cup to the top and adding precisely four level spoonfuls of sugar she sat down at the table on her balcony.

Anne sat quietly as she watched the still city wake up. Across the street she could see the paper-boy rushing through his last few deliveries, down the road a stray dog dug through a knocked over trashcan, and some early morning joggers returning from their run. She leaned back in her seat sipping her coffee. She had learned a longtime ago to enjoy the small things in life and this was one of her favorite parts of the day. The sun rose slowly over the skyline painting the sky orange and pink. With each passing moment it grew brighter and higher in the sky and she knew her quiet morning was almost over. Soon the peaceful city would be full of people shouting and cars honking. She slowly rose from her seat, glancing once more at the painted sky and headed back inside to prepare for her day.

A little while later Anne was locking her apartment door and heading out for the day. Her guitar case was slung over her back and her messenger bag hung at her side. She walked down the long flight of stairs from her fifth floor apartment and joined the people who were out on the street. She began her short walk to Callie's Café stopping to buy a few chocolate truffles from a street vendor. Arriving at the café, she was met at the door by her employer and best friend, Callie Williams. She passed the box of truffles to her friend who quickly tore open the bag and engulfed one.

"Oh my god. What would I do without you?" Callie exclaimed in between bites.

"Buy your own? Die? I can think of a few answers if you'd really like to know them all." She teased.

Anne set her guitar case down on her stand that sat beside a small stage with a single stool on it. She walked behind the counter where she found her lavender colored apron which she tied around her waist. She watched as Callie flipped the sign to open at precisely seven am and the duo waited for their customers to file in. A short while later the small café was busy as customers came in, most of them usuals but as always a few new faces among the crowded room. Anne took orders to the back window as Callie prepared the food. She carefully balanced the trays as she made her way around dropping off orders to customers as they came and went. Shortly before eleven, the other waitress, Jane, came in to take over for Anne. She smiled at the pleasant middle-aged woman as she made her way to the kitchen for a much deserved break.

Settling herself at the kitchen's prep table a plate of poached eggs served over homemade hash appeared in front of her. Her mouth watered as she picked up her fork. She ate half of her meal in silence before stopping to chat with Callie.

"Can you just live with me and make all of my food?"

Her friend chuckled. "As long as Midas comes with me."

She let out a groan. "The last time I watched your stupid cat he pissed all over my bookshelf."

"Well then no can do sweetie. Where I go, he goes."

"That's why you can't get a guy then."

Callie laughed at her. "Last I checked you haven't had much luck in that department either."

She stuck out her tongue in response before returning to the plate in front of her. She finished her meal before heading back out into the dining area. The blonde crossed to the stage where she pulled her guitar out of its case. She strummed it a few times before stopping to tune it. When she was satisfied she sat on the stool and started to play a soft tune. An hour passed by and a few people commented on her playing, a few of them even leaving tips but she had toyed with the idea of playing her new orignal piece. She still wasn't entirely sure she wanted to. She had always been timid when playing her own pieces, preferring to do covers of other people's work. Anne glanced around the small café noting that there were a few empty chairs. _Well now is as good a time as ever_, she thought to herself.

She leaned into the microphone. "I've been working on this piece for quite sometime now and it's still not finished yet but I'd like to play it for you lot."

Taking in a deep, nervous breath she strummed out the first few notes and started to sing.

"_I can count my heartbreaks on one hand,_

_but it's still one time too many._

_Don't know why I followed you blindly,_

_down this path of self destruction. _

_All I wanted was to be loved,_

_and you said all the right things._

_Now you left me broken and bitter,_

_but I'm finally moving on."_

She played the first verse, noticing Callie had left the kitchen and was leaning on the counter with Jane. Continuing to play the guitar she picked up the beat.

_"The birds in the trees,_

_the wind in my hair,_

_the painted sky in the morning._

_My big empty bed,_

_the lies that you said._

_They're now just a warning._

_Don't know where I'm going_

_but I'm learning to enjoy the little things."_

Anne finished the song to an applause from the few people in the room, the loudest claps and whistles coming from her coworkers. She stepped down from the stage a little red in the face from having played her own work in front of those people. She slipped into the kitchen, quickly followed by Jane and Callie.

"That was a gorgeous song! Why haven't I heard it before now?" Callie questioned her.

"Well it's not quite finished yet..."

"Anne that was one of the best songs I have ever heard! You have a real talent sweetie!" Jane jumped in.

Now she really was blushing and her heart was beating a mile a minute. "Was it really that good?" They nodded their heads in unison. "God I think I need a smoke."

A little while later she was standing in the back alley puffing away on a cigarette. She didn't really smoke anymore she just needed an occasional one to calm her nerves. She took a long, slow drag letting the smoke fill her lungs. She exhaled slowly, watching as the smoke swirled into the sky. She was taking another drag when she heard a voice behind her.

"You really shouldn't do that. You'll damage those pipes you've got there." It was a deep baritone voice. Startled by the sudden voice she began to cough on the smoke she had just inhaled. "You alright?"

She turned to see an extremely tall man, he was well over six feet tall, with black hair, a crooked nose, and a bit of scruff on his face. "I'm fine you just startled me is all." She butted her cigarette out and stood before the man. "Might I help you with something?"

He smiled at her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other waiting for his response. "That was one hell of a performance in there. I saw you standing out here and just wanted to let you know." He stuck his hand out for her to shake. "Stuart Bennett but call me Stu."

She took his hand a bit hesitantly before shaking it. "Anne Gibson."

"Well you Anne have real talent."

"Thanks..." Unsure of what else to say to him, she stood there awkwardly.

"Have you thought of a career in the music industry? I've got a few frien-"

She cut him off before he could finish. "Thanks Stu but I'm all set where I am in my life right now. If you don't mind I should probably head back in. I've got some tables to wash up." With that she left him standing in the alley. He stood in the alley watching her disappear, those piercing green eyes of hers stuck in his head. He was definitely coming back tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Anne walked into Callie's and was getting ready to toss the bag of chocolate truffles to her friend when she noticed a familiar figure leaning over the counter talking to Callie. She let out a soft sigh. The pair hadn't seemed to notice her yet and she contemplated walking back out of the small café. In her moment of hesitation, Callie turned and noticed her.

"Oh there you are! We were just talking about you." The blonde rolled her eyes and walked over to her friend, roughly handing her the bag of chocolates."Well good morning to you too sunshine." Callie said sarcastically. "Stu here was just telling me that he has some connections at a recording company and that he approached you with an offer and you turned him down. Now why on earth would you do that?"

Anne stared at Callie before turning her attention to the tall Brit in front of her. "Listen mate, I told you yesterday I'm not interested. I have no intentions of putting myself out there like that. Music is my passion but not a potential career choice. Now if you don't mind I need to go hang myself for even playing that stupid song." She quickly walked out of the room and into the kitchen where she sat herself down on a stool where she stared at a very interesting spot on the wall.

After watching her storm out of the room Stu turned his attention back to the black haired beauty in front of him. "Basically the same reaction I got yesterday. So what's her deal anyway? I know people who would fight tooth and nail to sign a contract with her."

She let out a sigh. "It's really a long story and not mine to tell. I said I would help you but I'm not going to force her. Why do you care so much anyway?" She asked suddenly curious. People had offered Anne a way to the top before but usually when she turned them down they just went on their merry way but he had come back and had enlisted her help. She had honestly figured when she answered the door this morning that the guy was going to give Anne an offer, she was going to turn it down and he would leave. However, he was still standing here, a determined look in his eyes.

He shrugged his shoulders. "There was just such a passion when she sang. Talent like that needs to be seen, to be heard."

"I'll try talking to her but I can pretty much guarentee you that her answer won't change." She gave him a weak smile before she disappeared into the back room.

Walking into the kitchen Callie saw Anne staring silently at the wall. She walked over and stood in front of her attempting to get her attention but she was pretty sure that she was ignoring her. She let out a sigh. "Why don't you give it a shot? What's the worst that can happen? I mean look at me, I followed my passion and now I've got this place!"

Anne's eyes shot up and she stared at her. "Oh gee I don't know. I could be completely humiliated again. I've been down that path before and I have no intentions of doing it again. I put my whole heart into my music and I'm not going to fall flat on my face again. God Callie! Why are you making such a big deal about it? Just leave me alone please."

"Because he's right. You have _real_ talent and it shouldn't go to waste. I won't let anyth-"

"Please just drop it."

Anne stood up and walked out of the room. She ignored Stu who was still leaning on the counter. She grabbed her apron and switched the sign to open before grabbing her rag and wiping down the tables. She proceeded to set the tables with placemats and rolled up forks and knives, feeling his eyes on her the whole time. When the first customers rolled in she noticed that he had slipped out the door, leaving her to do her job but she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be the last time she saw him and she was right.

Around noon, she pulled out her guitar and began to play. She played a few upbeat latin tunes, noticing that the café was a little more crowded than usual. She stummed her guitar trying to focus on the notes she was playing but she was having a harder time than usual today focusing. After taking a short break and smoking a much needed cigarette, she settled back in playing an accoustic version of _Welcome Home_ by Coheed and Cambria. Her fingers flew across the strings not missing a single note. When she finished the song there was a soft applause and she smiled a little before moving on to the next song. At four o'clock she finished for the day and packed up her guitar. She left without saying good-bye to Callie who she was rather annoyed with at the moment. She walked down the busy city streets ready to go home and relax. However that plan was short lived.

"Hey Anne!"

She turned around to see her ex-boyfriend's sister, Josey. "Oh hey! How are you?"

"I'm alright. How about yourself?"

"I'm surviving. That's the goal isn't it?"

Josey laughed at her. "If your not busy want to grab a bite to eat? A couple of friends and I were going to a pub."

Anne thought about it for a moment. She'd always been really close with Josey it would be nice to reconnect. "Your brother's not going to be there is he?"

"I wouldn't put you through that. He's an asshole for letting you slip through his fingers anyways. His new girlfriend is a bloody pig."

"Yeah what the hell. I'll go with you! I need to get out and have some me time. I've got to run home and change though. Where are you all meeting?"

"Hampton's in about a half hour." She responded.

"Alright. I'll see you in a bit."

A short while later Anne stood in front of her full length mirror, checking herself out. She had on skin-tight skinny jeans and a black tube top that made her average sized chest appear larger than it really was. She slipped into her black heels, giving her 5'6" another three inches. Her usually straight hair had been curled with her beloved curling iron and her face lightly dusted with natural colored make-up. Pleased with her appearnce she grabbed her purse and was out the door. She was glad the pub wasn't too far away because her feet would have been killing her from the heels. When she arrived at the pub she was greeted enthusiastically by Josey, who quickly began introducing her to her friends.

"That's Kate and Olivia, they're twins." She pointed to two brunettes. "The tall guy is Olivia's boyfriend, Pete. That's Tyler and of course you know my boyfriend Asher and his sister Melissa." They waved at her and smiled. "We're just waiting on- Oh there he is! Stu over here! This is my friend Anne!"

Anne turned around to see Stu Bennett, the annoying bug who just wouldn't go away. "We've met." She said quickly. He smiled at her not believing his luck.

They found a table in the back where they all sat down and Anne found herself seated next to Olivia and Stu. This was going to be a long night.

A short while later and a few drinks in everybody was starting to loosen up. The couples had found their way to the dance floor, leaving Kate, Tyler, Melissa, Stu, and Anne at the table who were all talking. Anne sipped her third beer, starting to get a little bit of a buzz. Tyler and Stu were in a deep conversation about who's team was the better footbal team leaving the girls to talk.

"So how do you know Stu?" Kate asked.

"Well I don't really know him. We met yesterday at the café I work at." Anne replied.

"You're still at Callie's? I'll have to stop in and see you sometime! Still playing during lunch?" Melissa asked and Anne nodded her head in the affirmative. "If you just met Stu then you probably don't know he's a professional wrestler with the WWE!"

Anne raised an eyebrow. She didn't particuarlly care for wrestling but she was a bit curious now. _That would explain why he is so freaking built._ "Isn't that stuff fake?"

She felt someone lean into her ear. "It's as real as it can get." She felt a shiver run down her spine at the sound of his voice in her ear. "But we do have storylines we have to follow." He said as he sat back up straight.

"So it's fake then. If everything is predecided, how real can it be?" She challenged him.

He turned in his chair so he was looking at her. "All the blows are real."

"But you can only hit so hard if you're not the person who's choosen to win. Therefore it's fake."

He rolled his eyes at her. "I take it you're not a fan then? There are some real onscreen blowouts and things don't always go as planned."

"I've never watched a single match to be honest. Not my cup of tea. I'm not interested in a bunch of sweaty men pretending to punch each other." She was smiling now and it was starting to get on his nerves. Was she being serious or teasing him? She finished her brew prompting her to get up from the table for a refill. He stood up and followed her over to the bar.

He leaned on the bar next to her. "How can you say you don't like it when you've never even watched it? Or better yet pretend to know more about it then someone who actually lives and breathes it?"

"You said it yourself. You have to follow storylines." She used airquotes around storylines and flashed him a smile. The bartender handed both of them a full glass. They leaned on the bar in silence, sipping their beers. "So how do you know Josey?"

"I'm actually good friends with Asher, we go way back. Primary school mates. What about you?" He asked out of curiosity.

She hesitated a moment. "Her brother and I used to date... It ended badly but Josey and I were really close." She looked away from Stu and noticed the pool table in the corner of the room was unoccupied. "Do you want to play?" She asked motioning towards it.

"Sure." He said simply before they made their way over to the table. "How about we make interesting?"

"Depends on what you had in mind..." She trailed off unsure of what he was going to say next.

He smiled mischieviously. "If I win you have to go to a WWE event and actually enjoy it."

"And if I win?"

"I'll stop bothering you about your music."

This time it was Anne's turn to smile. "Challenge accepted." 


End file.
